


Never After

by nereidee (aurasama)



Series: A Lover's Lament [1]
Category: Amnesia: The Dark Descent
Genre: Gen, I really just wanted to write something horribly sad, Implied Slash, M/M, Revenge ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 22:27:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7659238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aurasama/pseuds/nereidee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His entire journey had been leading up to the confrontation with the baron, and Daniel knew what he had to do with the man who had once meant so much to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never After

It felt like he had been running through a nightmare, his body sluggish and his legs so slow, much too slow, as he tore away from the eldritch creature pursuing him. The ground quaked and set a rain of debris coming down and he ran, ran endlessly, the Shadow's roars never too far away.

He knew he was close now; he could dimly recall walking down this very path once, not too long ago. A flash of blue light, a chamber full of stars, then the dread red tears that consumed the scene as if the walls had started to bleed. Daniel shuddered, refusing to look on his sides where the same pulsating tendrils were spreading over stone with a horrible sense of purpose. His eyes were only on the door ahead and he wrenched it open though his muscles cried out in exhaustion.

The chamber was once more filled with the strange blue light, and for a while he forgot where he was. He barely heard the dull slam of the door behind him, his eyes drawn upwards to the shimmering Orbs, then even higher to the slowly revolving stones in the air. It was as if the ceiling had opened up into nothingness, and even as the ground trembled he found himself oddly hypnotised by the scene. Once, he had stood precisely on this spot, the Orb is his hands and the baron's firm hand on his shoulder. Once, not too long ago.

”I was wondering if you were going to show up,” a familiar voice called. There was such an air of weary resignation to it that it broke Daniel's concentration, and he turned to look up to the great pedestal at the far end of the room.

He had known he would find Alexander here, yet it was not Alexander as he remembered him. However hazy the images in his head, however twisted his memories, there had always been at least a semblance of humanity about the baron. It wasn't there anymore; Daniel wondered vaguely whether it was because he knew what the man was now, or simply the blue glow that had somehow engulfed him and transformed his appearance into something eerie.

Daniel could hear him talking, the words coming out in a despairing mess, but he wasn't listening. Again, the Shadow screamed somewhere, much too close now. His eyes were everywhere, wildly looking for something, anything, and the rushing of his blood seemed loud in his ears. The pylons. Without pausing to think he tossed aside the lantern, not bothering to look at it as it shattered against the floor, and threw his entire weight against the nearest pylon until it fell.

”Don't do that!” came Alexander's voice from the other side of the room, echoing in the empty space. Daniel ignored him, breathing heavily and attacking the next pylon. His body was begging for mercy but he paid it no mind; this needed to be done, it needed to be over. With an almighty wrench the pylon finally toppled over, the Orb that had been standing on top of it rolling out of sight. He could hear Alexander's angry yells from somewhere nearby as he tackled the last pylon standing, trying to push it off balance. He gathered his strength for another shove when something suddenly ripped him away from the pillar of stone, yanking him backwards so that he nearly fell over.

”I beg you, Daniel, don't do this!” The baron's voice was directly behind him and Daniel turned wildly, arms flailing as he tried to hit the other man. Alexander grabbed his wrists and for a moment they struggled desperately, faces inches from one another.

The baron's face was twisted into an expression of such despair that a broken sob escaped the Englishman's lips as though on its own. He couldn't push away the wave of emotion that face suddenly roused in him, and with a shock of recognition the images came rushing back to him, images of warmth, comfort, of tangled limbs, of tender words spoken in the long hours of the night when he couldn't sleep. Alexander's eyes, once calm and wise, were wide with fear that he'd never seen there before and for a while pity tore at his heart like knives. The hands clasping his wrists were achingly familiar and with a yell Daniel wrenched himself free, anything to get away from those hands. He hit the man full in the face, then slammed his body against the last pylon with such force that he fell down with it.

”You've ruined us!” Alexander cried. His nose was bleeding profusely, his face stained with blood. ”You've ruined us both!”

”No. I've ruined you,” Daniel spat, getting to his feet. The castle trembled once again and the shrieking of the Guardian was ever closer but the Englishman had eyes only for the baron.

”Please don't do this,” the elder pleaded, but Daniel was already upon him. He saw the man attempting to fight him but his hands closed around the baron's throat inevitably, as though his body was acting on its own. Alexander struggled, clawing at his arms and his face but Daniel merely grit his teeth, tightening his grip. He saw the man's lips trying form words, his body convulsing terribly as he struggled for freedom.

”I am not sorry,” Daniel ground out as the baron's struggling became feebler, more desperate. His eyes rolled back as he tried to inhale, his face turning a dread shade of purple, and Daniel's arms shook with the effort of holding him. Their eyes met and Alexander reached out a trembling hand, touching his face almost involuntarily. Daniel could feel his entire body shaking but he couldn't look away from the baron's amber eyes.

The moment seemed to stretch on forever until Alexander's body went limp with a sense of horrible finality, and he fell on Daniel's lap as soon as the younger man released him. His hands went on the baron's shoulders, his lips pressing into the elder's hair.

”I am not sorry,” he repeated, his entire body shaking with sobs that were threatening to break free. He was only distantly aware of the approaching screeches of the Shadow, and for a short moment that felt like an eternity he merely cradled the lifeless form of Alexander in his arms, kissing his forehead once. He looked into the familiar face once more, then got onto his feet quite steadily and watched as the ravaging Guardian finally broke into the chamber and claimed the body lying at his feet.

**Author's Note:**

> This idea just would not leave me alone until I wrote it, and I've wanted to write something more canon compliant for a while. I tend to regard the Revenge Ending as the "true" ending of the game, not because I like it the most, but because it feels the most 'right' all things considered. It's so human and raw, and it feels the most like Daniel the way I see him in my head.
> 
> 99% of my Alexander/Daniel feels are made of sadness, I am so sorry. :'D And yes, this is part of a oneshot series I'm working on in-between Count the Daylight Hours, so there will be more sad things later.


End file.
